THE National Council of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has decided to restart the farmers' struggle and called for coordinated struggle of farmers and workers centered on their livelihood issues in coordination with the united workers movement. The meeting was held at the Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan in New Delhi on July 10, 2024 and it was attended by 145 representatives from 17 States. It was the first SKM national meeting held after the results of the 18th Lok Sabha elections.

CONSTANT STRUGGLES

The historic farmers’ struggle in the capital of India - lakhs of farmers encircled the borders of Delhi day and night for 384 days with the supreme sacrifice of 736 martyrs and sufferings of lakhs of farmers - is unique in the history of the world. This struggle supported by the workers across India forced the NDA-2 government to repeal the infamous pro-corporate three Farm Acts. The December 9, 2021 agreement with the SKM, signed by the secretary of the department of agriculture, government of India, had covered the demands of ensuring legally guaranteed MSP@ C2+50 per cent with procurement for all crops, no to privatisation of the power sector and prepaid smart meters, compensation to all the families of martyrs who died during the historic farmers struggle, withdrawal of all cases related to the farmers agitation, and freeing farmers from criminal liability by amending the act on pollution control due to stubble burning. This agreement made after huge sacrifices was not implemented by the Modi government. This is condemnable.   

In that context, along with the Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions, the SKM held the first-ever Worker-Farmer National Convention at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi, on August 24, 2023, and adopted a charter of demands mainly centred on the livelihood issues as well as protecting the secular, democratic constitution of India. The demands included those related to MSP, minimum wage, price rise, unemployment, repeal of four labour codes, comprehensive loan waiver, no privatisation of the public sector including power and no contractualisation of labour, among others.

The series of joint struggles across India included Black Day on October 3, 2023, the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre day, three days of mahapadav in front of the governor houses at state capitals from November 26-28, 2023, and massive nationwide tractor marches on January 26, 2024. The SKM strongly condemned the brutal attack on farmers on the Punjab- Haryana border and the murder of a young farmer Shubhkaran Singh by the BJP-led Haryana Police and rallied farmers across India against it. SKM convened a massive Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat at Ramlila Ground on March 14, 2024 which gave a call to expose, oppose and punish the BJP and the Modi government in the 18th Lok Sabha elections.

FARMERS PUNISH THE BJP

The consistent, united struggles based on livelihood issues filled confidence in large sections of the people, influenced the media, helped to unite the opposition political parties and brought the crucial issues of protecting the democratic, secular and federal principles and reservation enshrined in the constitution of India. Though limited, the visible emerging unity of workers and farmers across India in building struggles on livelihood issues centred on an alternative economic agenda against the corporatisation of agriculture, industry and services was a qualitative political development. These protracted struggles emerged mainly with the initiative of the organised workers and farmers movements influenced by the Left and democratic forces. The potential of the class struggle in challenging the corporate-communal forces was seen especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra, where the farmers' struggle made an enormous impact.

Thus, the struggles under the united farmers and workers movements have successfully brought forth burning livelihood issues to counter the communal and pro-corporate narrative of the BJP, thus foiling the BJP’s aim of '400 paar'. The BJP lost 63 seats and could get only 240, much below an absolute majority in parliament, for the first time in ten years. The SKM campaign of "Expose, Oppose and Punish BJP" made a large impact wherever the farmers’ movement was widespread and active. The defeat of the BJP in 38 rural seats of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and the defeat of the then union ministers Ajay Mishra Teni (butcher of farmers) in Lakhimpur Kheri, UP, and Arjun Munda (agriculture minister) in Khunti, Jharkhand, reveals the impact of the farmers struggle. BJP has lost in 159 rural dominated constituencies. 

The meeting congratulated the farmers across India for ensuring a setback to the authoritarian, fascistic, corporate-communal combine led by the BJP. The SKM appreciated the victory of farmer leaders Amraram from Sikar, Rajasthan, Rajaram Singh from Karakat, Bihar, Sudama Prasad from Arrah, Bihar, and R Sachithanantham from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, who have been elected as members of parliament, and expressed confidence that they will succeed in intensifying the struggle against the pro-corporate policies in the parliament.

There is no need for any illusion of change in the pro-corporate policies of the BJP-NDA government since prime minister Modi is hell bent to continue 'business as usual'. Intensifying direct struggles of farmers and farmworkers and also joint struggles with the organised and unorganised workers is the need of the hour in order to bring relief to the people who are facing severe miseries, indebtedness, unemployment and price rise.

FUTURE PROGRAMMES

As the first step of restarting the struggle, delegations of the SKM will meet the members of parliament across India - both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - on July 16-18, 2024, submit memorandum and charter of demands. SKM will seek appointments with the prime minister, and also the leaders of the opposition in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, requesting them to take action on the long pending demands of farmers.  On August 9, 2024, SKM shall observe Quit India Day as "Corporates Quit India Day". The demands that India must come out of WTO and No MNC’s in Agriculture will be popularised among the farmers.

In the upcoming assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir, a massive campaign among the farmers based on the SKM’s slogan to expose, oppose and punish BJP will be unleashed in coordination with trade unions and other mass and class organisations. Vehicle jathas, padayatras and mahapanchayats will be held.   

The respective leadership of the SKM will identify the burning farmers' issues in their states and plan out their agitational programmes along with the central action programmes. SKM will also coordinate with the organised movements of workers, agricultural workers, students, youth, women and other mass sections.

The small and middle farmers and agricultural workers are facing acute agrarian crisis under the neo-liberal reforms. The unity of the peasantry with the industrial working class and the trade union platform is developing well through joint and coordinated struggles. Some sections of the rich peasantry have also come forward to support the anti-corporate struggle. This is evident from the weakening of the BJP-led NDA in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. Expanding worker-farmer unity further up to the village level is crucial to develop the struggle as a massive struggle of the entire people across the country.